Borough Needs to Concentrate On Pedestrian Safety, Says Report

Candace Braun

How to make the Borough more pedestrian-friendly was the main topic of discussion during the Traffic and Transportation Committee's presentation to Council on Wednesday, December 8. However, while Council agreed with many of the committee's concerns, a formal improvement plan was not decided upon.

According to the committee's Sandy Soloman, most of the 30 people who sent in traffic and transportation safety suggestions said that there was a need to create a safer environment for walking around town.

"There are two sides to every dysfunction," said Ms. Soloman, suggesting that both pedestrians and drivers need to be better educated about traffic patterns and the flow of traffic in town.

Princeton's busy state-maintained roads proved to be a concern to residents, as well as the need to make crosswalk areas more visible to oncoming drivers. In addition, the intersection of Nassau Street with Route 206 has proven to be a problem for some senior citizens, who have said that the reason they don't walk to the Suzanne Patterson Senior Center behind Borough Hall is because they don't feel safe crossing the road.

"I walk a lot in Princeton ... and many times I fear for my life at some intersections in town," said Phyllis Teitelbaum, a member of the committee who said that she likes to walk in town for exercise but is often discouraged due to traffic. A resident of Hawthorne Avenue, she said that the pedestrian walking signs at Nassau Street, Bayard Lane, and Stockton Avenue are unsafe, as cars don't yield to walkers.

"If you follow that pedestrian light you will get killed," she said.

Council responded to the committee's concerns with accounts of failed attempts at improving pedestrian safety in the past. Councilman David Goldfarb said that the Borough has asked the state to give pedestrians more time to cross certain heavily-trafficked intersections such as Nassau and Witherspoon streets, but that the state has denied the request, saying that it would interrupt the flow of traffic.

An additional complaint about the lack of pedestrian crosswalks along Nassau between between Moore and Harrison streets was met with Council's contention that the state claims that parking spaces currently used by area businesses would have to be removed before crosswalks can be put in place.

Mayor Joe O'Neill said that encouraging walkers to use dangerous roads has partly led to the problem: "We should not lure pedestrians onto roads where they're likely to get hurt; Bayard Lane is one of them."

Some residents also showed concern for the state of Mercer Street, and its lack of crosswalks. Council responded that the road is currently undergoing extensive reconstruction, which will take several years before it is completed.

"We need to send a message to the state that this is hurting our town," said Ms. Soloman, adding that the committee is willing to write a letter of requests to the state which could be formally approved by Council.

The Borough currently puts $25,000 aside each year for pedestrian safety issues in town, but the amount has never been used up. This is in part due to the need to find and hire the staff to do the work, said Mr. Goldfarb.

"I think the points [the committee] has raised are significant ones," said Mayor O'Neill, adding that Council will draft a resolution summarizing the committee's concerns and suggestions. The resolution will be examined on a date not yet determined by Council.